The present invention relates to polymers and more particularly relates to the use of fillers, colorants, UV stabilizers, or reinforcement agents in polymers.
Generally, many articles formed from polymers, such as plastics, contain reinforcement agents, fillers, and/or colorants. Generally, such agents, fillers, and colorants like carbon black, are incorporated into the polymers with the use of masterbatches. The masterbatches are used because the direct addition of reinforcement agents, fillers, and colorants like carbon black, may not adequately disperse amongst the polymer which would then result in a less than desirable polymer product. Masterbatches are used as a means to incorporate the reinforcement agent, filler, or colorant, like carbon black, into a polymer. These conventional masterbatches therefore serve as an intermediate step to the ultimate introduction of reinforcement agents, fillers, and colorants into a polymer.
It would be desirable to polymer manufacturers if agents like carbon black could be directly incorporated into the polymer at the same time that the polymers are being formed or at the time when polymers are being formed into a desired article; thus avoiding the need for conventional masterbatches.